Mountains, Music and Mentorship

When environmental studies major Hatsune Kubota (’26) left Spokane in June of 2024 to volunteer with Wilderness Inquiry in St. Paul, Minnesota, as an outdoor educator for the summer, she didn’t think twice about taking her piano keyboard with her — not just for her own enjoyment, but for her nine-year-old piano student, Irene. Kubota had been recommended to Irene’s mother, a staff member and doctoral student at Gonzaga, by Instructor of Applied Piano, Emily Loeffler, Ph.D., and throughout Spring semester 2024, Kubota had been meeting with Irene once a week in a music building practice room for lessons.

“Irene has absolutely fallen in love with piano thanks to Hatsune,” said Holly Jones (MA ’22), Irene’s mother, who was floored by the dedication and care Kubota showed by continuing piano lessons via video conferencing during the summer while she canoed, hiked, and kayaked with children around Yellowstone Park.

As a child growing up in rural Hokkaido, Japan, Kubota loved being pulled on a sled through the snow by Lucas, her family’s labrador retriever.

“He would run and run,” she recalled fondly, “and then turn back to make sure I was still good.”

With her nearest neighbor two miles away and no siblings, young Kubota often found herself exploring the outdoors. It was an interest that carried over to her experience at a girls’ Protestant high school six hours from her hometown, where she discovered and fell in love with mountain climbing.

“I always wanted to be outside,” said Kubota. “And I was interested in living in another country, which was why I started looking at universities in the Pacific Northwest.”

Searching online for an outdoor education or recreation program, she came upon Gonzaga Outdoors. With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing and the expense of visiting a school abroad being prohibitive, Kubota trusted her gut instinct and applied, was accepted and committed to Gonzaga, sight unseen. She left home in Fall of 2022 and hasn’t been back since.

“I love it here,” said Kubota. “I miss my dad so much, but I have such great friends here and I’m afraid if I go home, there will be things I want to do that I’d miss out on, like through my work with Gonzaga Outdoors. I guess I’ll go home after graduation,” she said, adding, “maybe.”

In addition to the outdoors, Kubota’s enthusiasm for belonging is positively contagious, especially when listening to her recount what excites her about her studies and work.

“The goal of the organization where I worked during the summer was to get people outside regardless of their age, background, ability, gender—everything.” She said, “I got to work closely with their accessibility coordinator and deaf, hard of hearing and blind students. They used textile communication and American Sign Language and taught me to communicate through ASL—I’m taking a class in it right now!”

Kubota appreciates the opportunity to be around diversity and wants to impact the way people at Gonzaga think, talk about and behave with respect to difference.

“I had a conversation with someone who said, ‘Gonzaga is predominantly white,’ and even though there are so many people of color and different people here, hearing that made me feel invisible,” she said. “I think the words we choose are important—they said ‘is’ about Gonzaga, which suggests it isn’t changing, when it is.”

In addition to her coursework in environmental studies, Kubota is involved with the Comprehensive Leadership Program and takes piano lessons. She started playing at the age of five and participated in competitions.

“I enjoy playing new pieces and I like playing for fun,” she said, “and I played for the choir in my high school. So, when I came to Gonzaga, I started taking lessons from Dr. Loeffler—she is so encouraging.”

Kubota hopes to carry forward the encouragement she receives from Loeffler and is excited to perform in her personal recital. She’s also looking forward to seeing her own student perform in a recital soon.

“I can tell that she’s been practicing,” beamed Kubota as a proud teacher, “she picks up things quickly.”

After graduation, Kubota hopes to keep sharing her love for the outdoors with the next generation but has yet to decide where she will go to do that.

“I love this area so much and I really enjoyed Minnesota,” said Kubota. “I might take a semester off and go home, first.”

Gonzaga University is grateful for students like Kubota, who are committed to making the world a more accessible and melodic place. You can support students like her and the programs she loves like Gonzaga Outdoors with a gift to the Fund for Gonzaga today.